CONTRIBUTED BY SARAH MEERSCHAERT - COMPETITION WINNER!
I feel like I was really lucky in this competition. Unlike most of the lovely ladies competing, I hadn’t been working out regularly or watching what I ate before we started our 10 weeks. While it was difficult changing my routine, I had lots of changes to make, and no where to go but down a few pounds.
I think part of my success was taking it in small increments. I didn’t go into this competition thinking I wanted to lose X pounds or Y amount of weight. I went in thinking that I wanted to be healthier and that a little peer pressure might be the jump start I needed.
I didn’t begin with a weight loss goal; I began with behavioral changes. I told myself I wasn’t going to eat my favorite foods unless I made them from scratch as the healthiest versions I could (i.e. making my own pizza dough, pizza sauce, and loading it with toppings). I also replaced some indulgences with healthier options: I chose Special K Cracker Chips, fruit, or pretzels in place of the Baked Cheetos I usually munch on.
After a week or two I added exercise into my routine: a few times a week I’d do 30-40 minutes of step aerobics. Later, I added 10 minutes of abdominal work to the end of that.
As I moved forward and became more aware of my weight and what I was losing each week, I started to set goals. I set a lot of goals. I wanted to loose 5 pounds, 5%, 10 pounds, 10%, reach a “healthy” weight as calculated by the BMI… Some goals I knew I might not make but as I reached each little goal I’d set another one that seemed achievable. Even into the last week I was re-adjusting my goals.
Into the last week I was adjusting my behavior too. I love salt, but this final week I stopped adding salt and soy sauce to my foods (something I might try again for Lent). I also stopped drinking diet soda for the last week (again, more about the salt content). I’d try little things here and there and see what required a lot of willpower to maintain, what was easy to change, what made a big difference in weight, and what made me feel healthy.
For me, staying motivated was about staying engaged. I was primarily focused on seeing what sort of healthy behaviors I could stick with, I was somewhat interested in how much weight I could lose, and lastly I was curious about if I could get into those skinny jeans. (The answer is no on that last one.) :p
As a last note, here are some quick tips I think helped make it fun:
-Pomegranate seeds; fun to play with, fun to eat, really good for you (and keep for a while in the fridge). Add them to yogurt or eat in place of chips/popcorn. They go great with a Fresca (all Fresca flavors have 0 calories)
-A grill pan; tofu, tempeh, veggies…everything tastes better grilled. You can put the pan right on your stove instead of having to go outside, and it dramatically cuts the amount of oil you need to use while still adding flavor. (Try cauliflower with olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh rosemary.)
-Choose a work out routine that’s fun. Honestly? I love “CherFitness: A New Attitude.” (I’ve lost everyone’s respect now, haven’t I?) It’s campy, silly, and the 90’s outfits are outrageous. You can find the whole routine on YouTube if you don’t own the VHS.
-Keep easy things around for when you’re lazy. I always had some veggie burgers and a few Lean Cuisine meals stashed away for days when ordering a pizza seemed oh, so very tempting.
-Make your own food. On weekends, cooking is a great way to make something healthy that has the ingredients you most enjoy, and cooking can be a good addition to your work out. Making bread is hard work. Clean up after can be too.
-In the last week I’ve been toying with MyNetDiary.com. Most of the features are free online or on your iPhone. I’ve never calorie counted before and this site has made it reasonably easy. You can even use your phone to scan the barcode on your Lean Cuisine for the ultimate experience in lazy weight loss.
I want to thank Jen for setting up this competition, and I want to thank all of you for participating in it. All of you helped me find a motivation I didn’t even know I had. Cher says at the beginning of her work out: "Any woman who tries anything for her body, who tries to give herself that fit feeling, I have nothing but respect and love and admiration for.” I feel the same way about all of you!
